The Associates - Even Dogs in the Wild

Another brilliant Associates track, this one from their 1980 debut album, The Affectionate Punch. A different version of this was released a couple years later on a flexidisc issued by Flexipop magazine. Remember Flexipop? What a great little magazine that was. Until it basically became the publishing wing of the Batcave. I admit I still bought it though.

The Associates - Tell Me Easter's on Friday

An early Associates single and one of my favourites, though I don't think it was one of their bigger hits (all being relative, of course).

That little keyboard sequence will be stuck in my head for days now!

The Associates - Party Fears Two

A very under-appreciated band, and a sad sad loss to the music world. Can't really say much more about them.

Simple Minds - Glittering Prize

Simple Minds are one of those bands that simply stuck around too long. I think that all but their most diehard fans would agree with this - but the rest of us would probably disagree on when they should have called it a day. Personally I love this era, all the synths and New Romanticy eyemakeup and stuff; but then again that's the Simple Minds that were around when I first started listening to what we now call alternative music (what did we call it then? I can never remember) and, hence, the first Simple Minds I knew. I can certainly understand why fans of their earlier, somewhat darker material might have considered this unacceptably mainstream.

In thinking about it, I actually find it hard to believe this was 1982.